How long does probate take?
For a straightforward, excepted estate, expect roughly eight to sixteen weeks from submitting the application to receiving the grant, and six to twelve months from death to final distribution. Estates needing a full Inheritance Tax account, or holding property to sell, commonly run longer.
Jurisdiction: England & Wales. Last reviewed 13 August 2026.
The timeline in stages
| Stage | Typical time | What controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Register death, gather paperwork | 1–3 weeks | Availability of the will and certificates |
| Value assets and liabilities | 4–12 weeks | How quickly banks, pension providers and surveyors reply |
| Inheritance Tax reporting | 0–16 weeks | Nil for an excepted estate; longer where IHT400 is required |
| Registry processing the application | 8–16 weeks | Completeness of the application; requisitions restart the clock |
| Collecting in and paying debts | 4–12 weeks | Number of asset holders; any property sale |
| Estate accounts and distribution | 2–6 weeks | Beneficiary approval and cleared funds |
What makes probate slow
- Requisitions from the registry for missing or inconsistent information
- Waiting on HMRC where a full Inheritance Tax account is needed
- A property that takes months to sell, or a chain that collapses
- Missing or unresponsive beneficiaries
- Any dispute about the will or the distribution
Where the time is actually won
Applicants rarely lose time on the form. They lose it waiting for valuations they requested late, and on requisitions caused by inconsistent figures. Getting every valuation letter out in the first fortnight is the single biggest accelerator.Deadlines that do bite
There is no deadline to apply for a grant, but Inheritance Tax is due by the end of the sixth month after the month of death, and interest runs from that point. Executors also commonly wait until ten months after the grant before final distribution, because that is when the window for most claims against the estate has closed.
Frequently asked questions
- Can probate be fast-tracked?
- No. There is no paid priority service for personal applicants. A complete, consistent application is the only reliable way to avoid delay.
- Why has my application not moved for weeks?
- The most common reasons are an unanswered requisition, an original will not yet received, or an Inheritance Tax code not yet issued by HMRC.
- How long before beneficiaries get their money?
- Interim payments are often possible once debts are known and funds are collected. Final distribution usually follows the estate accounts being approved.
Dealing with a straightforward estate yourself?
Our free probate checker helps you work out whether this estate appears suitable for a self-help route. It asks about jurisdiction, disputes and complexity, takes a few minutes, and needs no account.
£349 one-off service fee if you go ahead. Court fee and any Inheritance Tax are paid separately.
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Apply For Probate Online is an independent self-help service and is not part of HM Courts & Tribunals Service or GOV.UK.